Since the beginning of March 2024, Mobile Medical Diagnostics, in partnership with the HSE, has completed the rollout of a national rapid response, community based mobile X-ray service for community hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities, hospices, and suitable patients in private homes. The service is now available in Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo, with no charge to the residents or patients.
The HSE engaged Mobile Medical Diagnostics in May 2023 to roll out this national service, which had been operating on a pilot basis since 2022.
This mobile X-ray service provides all types of X-ray examinations including chest, hip/pelvis, knee, wrist and shoulder X-rays. If a doctor deems an eligible patient requires an X-ray, then the Radiographer will arrive on-site, an X-ray examination will take place in their own room in the Residential Care Facility or in the patient’s own home and a report is shared with the referring doctor within four hours.
In total, nationally to date over 400 Residential Care Facilities have used the service. Over 1,800 GPs have referred to the service. Over 10,000 patients have been visited and a hospital transfer was avoided in 94% of these cases. Consultant Radiologist reports are sent back to the referrer within four hours allowing for timely treatment of the resident/patient, most often in the comfort of their own surroundings. Residents/patients do not need a medical card to avail of the service which is funded by the HSE.
Recent feedback from the family of a service user stated, “We would like to thank you most sincerely for an absolutely amazing service. You have no idea how much stress you have avoided for us by providing the mobile X-ray service. My dad is physically and cognitively compromised. A visit to the hospital would be a very difficult task for us to undertake, it would involve a logistics effort, time off work and a lot of stress on my dad. We are extremely grateful for this wonderful service.”
According to Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer for CH CDLMS “Through working with Mobile Medical Diagnostics, GPs and our Acute Hospital colleagues, we are delighted to be able to provide this invaluable service across the five counties since March of this year. It is much more comfortable for the individual receiving the service and avoids people having to attend their local hospitals which we know can be very stressful for people in terms of travel, parking and finding the relevant departments.”
For enquires regarding this service please contact: info@mobilemed.ie
Last updated on: 20 / 06 / 2024
